Gertrude Mary Cox Papers1918-1999

The Gertrude Mary Cox Papers consists of correspondence, diaries, photographs, speeches, articles, diplomas, certificates, newspaper clippings, and other materials relating to her career in statistics, her consulting work, travel, honors received, and the Cox Fellowship which was created in her honor at North Carolina State University. Her writings relate statistics to various subjects, including education, agriculture, nutrition, experimental design, biometrics, horticulture, home economics, and international research.

Gertrude Mary Cox (1900-1978) served as head of the Statistics Department at North Carolina State College from 1940 to 1949. She played an important role in founding the Research Triangle Institute in 1959 and held the position of Director, Statistics Research Division at the Institute from 1959 until 1964. In 1949 Cox became the first woman elected into the International Statistical Institute. In 1956 she was elected President of the American Statistical Association while in 1975 she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Biographical/historical note

Gertrude Mary Cox was born in Dayton, Iowa in 1900. She received a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in statistics, from Iowa State College in 1929 and 1931 respectively, and then enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. After two years in California, she was persuaded to return to Iowa to continue her work in statistics. From 1933 to 1940, Cox taught at Iowa State before Leaving for N.C. State College, where she remained until 1960. From 1940 - 1949 she served as head of the Department of Experimental Statistics. In 1949, Cox left this position to administer the North Carolina Institute of Statistics. She is most noted for her role in the 1959 founding of the Research Triangle Institute, where she held the position of Director, Statistics Research Division until 1964. She was also active as a consultant, working with universities in Thailand and Egypt. Cox received numerous awards, including an honorary Doctorate of Science in statistics from Iowa State College in 1958, and membership in the National Academy of Science. In 1949 she became the first woman elected into the International Statistical Institute. In 1956 she was elected President of the American Statistical Association. She was also named a Fellow in the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. She died in 1978.

Scope/content

The Gertrude Mary Cox Papers consists of correspondence, diaries, photographs, speeches, articles, diplomas, certificates, newspaper clippings, and other materials relating to her career in statistics, her consulting work, travel, honors received, and the Cox Fellowship which was created in her honor at North Carolina State University. Her writings relate statistics to various subjects, including education, agriculture, nutrition, experimental design, biometrics, horticulture, home economics, and international research.

Arrangement

This collection is divided into six series:

1. Correspondence,

2. North Carolina State University Papers,

3. Organizations/Consulting Papers,

4. Personal Papers,

5. Speeches/Papers/Publications.

6. Unprocessed Materials

Use of these materials

North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Gertrude Mary Cox Papers, MC 00117,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

This series consists mainly of Cox's correspondence with and about her colleagues in the field of statistics from the United States and abroad. Also included are such items as diary letters sent by Cox from overseas, correspondence with students, and biographical information on fellow statisticians.

1.5 archival boxes

Barber, Pat 1959

Box 1, Folder 1

Bliss, C. I. 1961

Box 1, Folder 2

Cochran, W. G. 1943, 1974-1977, undated

Box 1, Folder 3

Finkner, A. L. 1974-1977

Box 1, Folder 4

Finney, D. J. 1960-1963

Box 1, Folder 5

Fisher, Sir Ronald 1952-1974

Box 1, Folder 6

Hobson, Jesse 1959-1960, undated

Box 1, Folder 7

Hotelling [Harold] 1957-1976

Box 1, Folder 8

Kendall, M. G. 1959-1962, undated

Box 1, Folder 9

Moore, John D. 1970, undated

Box 1, Folder 10

Pearson, E. S. 1963-1964

Box 1, Folder 11

Wishart, John 1957

Box 1, Folder 12

Miscellaneous correspondence 1959-1974

Box 2, Folder 1

Miscellaneous correspondence 1952, 1964-1974

Box 2, Folder 2

Miscellaneous correspondence 1940-1983, undated

Includes diary letters from the Netherlands and Japan, 1960.

Box 2, Folder 3

Miscellaneous correspondence 1940-1978, undated

Box 2, Folder 4

North Carolina State University Papers 1956-1977(MC 00117 Series 2)

Size: 0.5 linear feet

This series contains some material pertaining to Cox's role as Head of the Statistics Department at North Carolina State University, but most of the material reflects her continuing relationship with the university after leaving it to concentrate on her role at the Research Triangle Institute. The series also includes information on the Cox Fellowship Program, as well as material on the dedication of Cox Hall in 1970.

1 archival box

General information, North Carolina State University 1977, undated

Box 2, Folder 5

Notes on faculty UNC-CH/NCSU 1956-1957, undated

Box 2, Folder 6

NCSU Search for Department Head (Experimental Statistics) 1962-1963

Box 2, Folder 7

National Academy of Sciences Luncheon, Caldwell 1975, undated

Box 2, Folder 8

Obituaries and Fellowship 1977-1978

Box 2, Folder 9

Cox Fellowship Program 1977 -1978, undated

Box 2, Folder 10

Cox Fellowship Program: Correspondence 1976-1979, undated

Box 2, Folder 11

Cox Fellowship Program: Minutes of the Committee 1977-1978

Box 2, Folder 12

Cox Fellowship Program Talks 1977-1978

Box 2, Folder 13

Cox Hall: Announcements and Letters of Congratulations 1970-1971

Box 2, Folder 14

Cox Hall: Dedication 1970

Box 2, Folder 15

Cox Hall: Dedication letters and notes 1970, undated

Box 3, Folder 1

Cox Hall: Dedication letters and notes 1970, undated

Box 3, Folder 2

N.C. State College monthly newsletter titled "Statelog" 1958-1970

Half box 22, Folder 2

Textile Forum Magazine 1946

Half box 22, Folder 3

Organizations and Consulting Papers 1942-1978(MC 00117 Series 3)

Size: 4 linear feet

This series documents Gertrude Cox's involvement in a number of professional associations and other organizations. Most of the organizational material derives from her association with statistical organizations such as the American STatistical Association and the International Statistical Institute. Also a part of this series is material from many of the consulting projects in which Cox participated, including her work in Thailand and Egypt.

Diaries, appointment books, and address books spanning a period of sixty years. Also included are awards and certificates, material relating to church and civic involvement, personal correspondence, and travel information.

Texts of numerous talks given by Gertrude Cox from 1940 to 1977; most of Dr. Cox's published writings; her master's thesis at Iowa State College; corrections and publisher correspondence from both the first edition and revised edition of her book with William G. Cochran, Experimental Designs; and general notes and correspondence related to Cox's speeches and writings.

7 archival boxes

Kiwanis Club Talk December 6, 1940

Box 15, Folder 1

Organization and Function of Dept. of Exp. Statistics, Summer School Conference June 23, 1941

Access to the collection

This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.
Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials,
access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Gertrude Mary Cox Papers, MC 00117,
Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Use of these materials

North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.